1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bowling balls and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a bowling ball having a core with an improved weight block which optimizes the gyroscopic steer of the ball to produce a breakpoint at the back end of the bowling lane.
2. Description of the Related Art
The design of bowling balls typically incorporates one or more weight blocks which compensate for the weight removed by the drilling of gripping and balance holes. These weight blocks are traditionally placed in the "top" of the bowling ball to provide dynamic balance to the bowling ball as it rolls down the bowling lane. Furthermore, weight blocks are incorporated because the manipulation of both their shape and position within the bowling ball will produce a higher degree of hooking in the bowling ball without violating the rules which govern the balance of bowling balls promulgated by the American Bowling Congress.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,828 issued on Oct. 24, 1978 to Amburgay discloses one such top weight design. Amburgay discloses top weights shaped in various forms such as spheres, annular disks, or two spherical portions formed integrally with and connected together by a bridge. One of these top weights is placed in the bowling ball to offset the weight loss resulting from the forming of gripping holes. Additionally, the top weight produces a gyroscopic stabilizing effect to enhance the hooking of the ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,731 issued on Sep. 10, 1991 to Zelinski discloses another weight block design. Zelinski discloses a T-shaped weight block wedged within the inner core of the bowling ball. A portion of the T-shaped weight block protrudes from the core to offset the weight removed from the bowling ball during the drilling of the gripping holes. Furthermore, similar to Amburgay, the weight block of Zelinski improves the hooking characteristics of the bowling ball.